After enjoying a few 70 degree days here, we woke to discover that Spring had decided to chill us to the bone again. I thought a nice pot of soup was in order. While preparing the beans and chopping the vegetables, I thought a lot about my dad. This was his favorite meal. He really loved to enjoy a bowl of bean soup along with a wedge of moist corn bread slathered with butter. I know he was up there in heaven smiling down on me as I cooked.

Bean Soup with Ham

1 lb beans (see note below)

32 ounces chicken broth

2 cups water, more if needed (see note below)

1 large onion, chopped fine

3 stalks celery, leafy tops included, sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 carrots, sliced into rounds

2 cups smoked ham, cut into half inch cubes

2 cups mixed greens, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare beans. Soak them overnight in water, then drain off the soaking water. OR cover the beans with water and bring to a boil. Let sit for at least one hour and drain off the water.

Add the beans, chicken broth, water, onion, celery, and garlic to a pot and cook on a slow simmer, leaving the pot lid slightly ajar, for an hour. Stir every 15 minutes or so. Add the carrots, ham, and mixed greens. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional hour. Before serving, stir in the parsley until well combined, taste and adjust seasoning. Enjoy!

Notes:

About the beans: I used pinto (my dad’s favorite), but you can use any mild-flavored bean you like. Navy, Great Northern, or cannelloni would be good substitutes.

About the water: You might need to add more water during the cooking. The beans should remain covered with liquid. I usually add another cup before the soup is finished.

This “no sew” project is fun, easy, and will keep all those awful plastic grocery bags from ending up in your local landfill. Follow these three simple steps and in five minutes you can turn an old t-shirt into a reusable grocery tote bag, a beach bag, or a craft carry-all.

1. Cut the hem off the t-shirt. Save it! We’re going to use it in a minute.

Almost a year and half ago
(my, how time flies!) Montlake Romance published RECLAIM MY HEART. The book now
has 224 reviews with a 4.5-star average. The book’s themes—racial prejudice, family
relationships, teen pregnancy, coping with life’s difficulties, forgiveness, etc—are
ones with which readers seem to identify. More times than not, life isn’t tied
up in a nice, pretty bow and we are left to figure out how to deal with friends
or family members whose character traits are, well, less than perfect. But none
of us are perfect, are we? We’re all just humans… being. (Many of my books
touch on this fact.) The best we can do is learn to live and let live, learn to
love those who are unlovable, and most of all, we must find it in our hearts to
forgive. I’m so proud that RECLAIM MY HEART has done well, and I thank all of
you who have read, enjoyed, and taken the time to review the book.

Some of my favorite review
clips:

“This book really hit home
for me... I enjoyed the characters as I could relate to each of them. I love
the story and I have to say that I wish there was a continuing story. I would
love to know how everyone is doing since the reunion... Thank you for a good,
heart-warming story.”

“Excellent … Hard to put
down. Looking forward to reading more from this writer. Truly a memorable
reading experience.”

“The best book I've read in a
long time.”

“…the characters came alive. …addressed
so many issues and left you with so much meaning, pride and joy.”